1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gas shut-off devices and more particularly pertains to a new gas appliance safety shut-off system for preventing accidents and deaths related to the utilization of gas-fueled appliances by providing a gas-fueled appliance with an integrated valve. The operating handle of the valve is accessible from the front of the appliance housing so that the gas supply to the burning devices on or in the appliance may be turned off quickly and easily.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of gas shut-off devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, gas shut-off devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art gas shut-off devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,259; U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,142; U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,802; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,415; U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,070, U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,705, U.S. Pat. No. 849,121, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,695, U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,063, U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,584, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,115.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new gas appliance safety shut-off system. The inventive device includes a hydrocarbon gas-fueled appliance that has a gas supply line located in the external housing of the appliance and at least one burning device. An internal pipe member is fluidly connected to the gas supply line such that all hydrocarbon gas burned by the burning devices of the appliance must pass through the pipe member. A valve is pivotally secured in the lumen of the pipe member to selectively cut off the supply of hydrocarbon gas to all the burning devices of the appliance. An operating handle is secured to the valve to allow manual manipulation of the movement of the valve within the lumen of the pipe member. The operating handle is mounted on the exterior of the housing adjacent to a control panel of the housing on the front of the housing of the appliance such that the hydrocarbon gas supplied to all the burning devices of the appliance may be easily and quickly shut-off by turning the operating handle.
In these respects, the gas appliance safety shut-off system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing accidents and deaths related to the utilization of gas-fueled appliances by providing a gas-fueled appliance with an integrated valve. The operating handle of the valve is accessible from the front of the appliance housing so that the gas supply to the burning devices on or in the appliance may be turned off quickly and easily.